The following is a letter to the editor printed in the Triangle Business Journal

Regarding the May 23 Triangle Business Journal coverage about a gift from Dennis and Joan Gillings, we at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are enormously grateful for their forward-looking philanthropy that will transform our School of Public Health's capacity to improve the lives of people here in North Carolina and around the world.

The Gillings' gift, a $50 million commitment, is the largest in the university's history and will be appropriately recognized when we officially rename the school the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health next fall.

A small group of students and faculty are stringing together conspiracy theories where there are none regarding our plans to use resources made possible by this gift to advance teaching, research and public service.

I regret that their comments and unfounded speculation are creating confusion when there should be clarity about how this university celebrates such an extraordinary act of generosity.

This personal gift from Dennis and Joan fully meets all of the University's criteria for accepting a gift, whether from individuals, foundations or businesses. To your readers who are unfamiliar with private philanthropy, last week's report left a wrong impression about this gift's significance to the university and the care with which we are planning to use these new resources wisely to directly benefit the public.

We are proud and honored that Dennis and Joan selected the School of Public Health, which they both know so well, to benefit from their gift.

Dean Barbara Rimer and her faculty, staff and students have an unprecedented opportunity to use this vote of confidence to help other people in need of access to better public health practices and knowledge. The school's future success in achieving those goals will bring great credit to the state and the University while affirming the bold vision of our donors, Dennis and Joan Gillings

School of Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.